Dan Howdle | September 21st, 2024
Sky Stream has been around for a while now. In a nutshell, it provides a different, cheaper, and in most ways better way of getting Sky TV that requires neither a satellite dish bolted onto your house nor the cabling mess that goes with it. We'll talk about the advantages further down the page.
Before we dive in, know this. There are a wide variety of configurations when it comes to Sky Stream, including two discrete ways to receive it on your home: Sky Stream, which uses the Sky Stream Puck (a small set-top box), and Sky Glass, an actual television offered in various screen sizes that has the Sky Stream tech built in. Beyond that, everything you need to know to select the right package for your needs is contained in this page.
There are two forms of Sky Stream available: Sky Stream, and Sky Glass. And that's before we get into the many permutations, bundles and add-ons. It's quite the task to explain everything that's available and there's a good chance we'll all become lost along the way if we do that in writing. So instead, let's take a look from a wider perspective.
Here's what comes as standard with every Sky Stream and Sky Glass package:
Feature | Sky Stream | Sky Glass |
---|---|---|
Sky Stream Puck | Yes | No |
Sky Glass TV (43", 55" or 65" sizes) | No | Yes |
150+ channels | Yes | Yes |
Sky Box Sets | Yes | Yes |
Netflix Basic | Yes | Yes |
24-month contract | Yes | No |
48-month contract | No | Yes |
As you can see, opting for the entry-level option is pretty straightforward, and represents the cheapest way in. It's when you get into all the optional extras that things start to get both more complex, and more expensive.
Some optional extras you will find bundled into the package variations in the comparison table at the top of this page. This allows you to quickly compare how the cost will shake down. However, there are more options and extras that you'll find during the sign-up process with Sky. Here's what you can add, and what it'll cost at the time of writing:
Optional extra | Sky Stream | Sky Glass | Price |
---|---|---|---|
One-month rolling contract | Yes | No | £3 per month |
Sky Sports | Yes | Yes | £20 per month |
Sky Cinema | Yes | Yes | £13 per month |
TNT Sports | Yes | Yes | £30 per month |
Sky Kids (channels) | Yes | Yes | £7 per month |
UHD & Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes | £6 per month |
Ad Skipping (live TV) | Yes | Yes | £5 per month |
Netflix Standard upgrade | Yes | Yes | £4 per month |
Netflix Premium Upgrade | Yes | Yes | £8 per month |
Sky Whole Home (multiscreen) | Yes | Yes | £13 per month |
Pricing correct at the time of writing. add-ons such as Sky Sports and Sky Cinema also have one-month rolling contract options, which cost a little more. Prices change regularly, so this table should be viewed as a snapshot.
So why get Sky Stream (or indeed Sky Glass?). What's wong with the old satellite TV system we've all known and loved for getting on for 35 years? You may be surprised to learn that there are oodles of benefit beyond simply not having to bolt an ugly dish to your house. Here's a look:
You can bundle in any Sky Broadband package/speed with both Sky Stream and Sky Glass. But, importantly, unlike its competitors, Sky won't make you. You can gt Sky Stream or Sky Glass on its own without the need for Sky Broadband. Bundles can be selected from the comparison above by narrowing the search using the various filters. You will save money bundling Sky Broadband and Sky Stream together.
No. Unlike BT (EE TV) and Virgin Media (Virgin TV), Sky will not force you to take out Sky Broadband in order to get Sky TV (Sky Stream). However, you can save money by bundling your Sky Stream and Sky Broadband together, so if you're in the market for both it's a good idea to do so.
Sky Broadband and TV bundles that include either Sky Stream or Sky Glass are cheaper than if you bought them separately and likely cheaper than if you continued with your existing broadband deal and took out Sky Stream separately. It's also just that little bit more convenient getting a single bill from the same provider each month.
Depending on when you look, you'll often find a range of deals on Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Sky bundles that include broadband designed to tempt in new customers. These are typically:
One of the best things about Sky Stream is just how easy it is to get installed:
If you order Sky Stream on its own today, you can be watching it tomorrow. It's that fast because there's no need for an engineer visit. Sky will send you the Puck on next-day delivery, you plug it in, connect it to your wifi, set up your account and you're away. No other TV provider makes things this quick and easy.
Things are a little different if you order a bundle because as above you should get your Sky Stream Puck(s) or Sky Glass TV very quickly, while it takes about two weeks to switch your broadband provider. It is completely safe to go ahead and set up your Sky Stream on your existing broadband connection in the meantime, but of course, you'll be waiting two weeks or thereabouts to have everything you ordered up and running.
Previously called Sky Multiscreen, multiroom or some other variant, piping Sky Stream to more than one TV is now called 'Sky Whole Home'.
Basically, every extra TV you want to bring Sky Stream to requires an extra Sky Stream Puck. Each Puck has a one-off 'set-up' cost of £39.95. In addition to that you'll need to subscribe to the Sky Whole Home add-on at an additional £13 per month. You cna have up to six Pucks total, and here's an example of how that breaks down:
Product/service | Monthly fee | One-off fee |
---|---|---|
Sky Whole Home | £13 | N/A |
One additional Puck | - | £39.95 |
Two additional Pucks | - | £79.90 |
Three additional Pucks | - | £119.85 |
Four additional Pucks | - | £159.80 |
Five additional Pucks | - | £199.75 |
Six additional Pucks | - | £239.70 |
Woah there! This is a huge question. There are some 200-odd channels available to Sky Stream subscribers, and we're pretty sure you don't want to sit poring through that mind-boggling list. If you do, however, we have a guide showing every single channel you get and every single channel you don't.
See our full list of Sky Stream channels.
Stream Sky Sports live without a dish. Sky Stream brings you the best in sports, entertainment, and apps, all in stunning 4K. Upgrade your viewing experience today.
Stream the latest blockbusters and hundreds of classic films on demand with Sky Stream & Sky Cinema. Flexibility & endless entertainment, all in one.
Sky Stream pricing start from £20 per month for Sky TV and Netflix. For more deals, see our comparison.
Yes, you can watch, pause and rewind live TV – much in the same way as Sky Q.
Sky recommends a minimum broadband speed of 25Mbps for all streamed content.